(Radio Iowa) – The Republican-led Senate has sent the governor a bill to limit the state auditor’s access to some confidential information. It also blocks the auditor from seeking a court order to get records from state agencies or other state officials. Republican Senator Mike Bousselot of Ankeny says State Auditor Rob Sand, the only Democrat in statewide office, has argued he can audit anything at anytime.

“When government goes too far, we are the watchdogs,” Bousselot says. Bousselot says shortly after taking office in 2019, Sand began raising inappropriate questions about negotiations for a billion dollar deal involving the University of Iowa’s utilities plant.  “This new, non-CPA auditor looks to see how far the law can go,” Bousselot said, “asks for impossible information about a transaction that isn’t even over yet.” That dispute was ultimately decided by the Iowa Supreme Court, in the auditor’s favor.

The bill calls for future disputes about government records to be settled by a three-person panel — with representatives of Sand’s office, the governor’s office and the state agency involved. “Settle disputes in a way that’s friendly to taxpayers,” Bousselot says. All 16 Democrats in the Senate voted no. Senator Janet Petersen is a Democrat from Des Moines.  “The is pro-embezzler, this is pro-corruption, this is pro-crony,” Petersen says. Senator Janice Weiner, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the bill knee caps the state auditor’s office.

“This is Republicans protecting each other and putting their own interests over those of the state,” Weiner says. “We don’t play games with our state’s finances.” Sand says the bill lets government agencies hide records necessary to prove abuse of tax dollars and it allows dishonest insiders to conceal their waste, fraud, and abuse.

Governor Kim Reynolds has not commented on the bill. Last May, as she campaigned for Republican Primary candidates, Reynolds said needed a state auditor that’s not trying to sue her every time they turn around.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – (UPDATED)  The Atlantic School Board, Wednesday evening, agreed to meet in the District’s Central Office at the Achievement Center this Friday, April 28th, at 2:30-p.m., for the purpose of reviewing applications that have been received from persons interested in the Superintendent and School Business Official (SBO) positions. The review process is just one of several steps necessary to find a suitable replacement for those Administrative jobs. The District says the review will take place in a CLOSED SESSION, as allowed under the Code of Iowa.

As of April 26th, there have been two applications for the SBO position currently held by Sarah Sheeder. It’s not clear how many applications have been received so far for the Superintendent’s job. Both positions became open with the resignations earlier this month of Superintendent Barber, whose last day is June 30th, and Sheeder, whose last day is May 31st.

The actual interviews with candidates for those positions will be scheduled following a review of qualified individuals’ resume and application.

(Radio Iowa) – The Senate Ethics Committee has tabled a complaint against the state senator who didn’t schedule a hearing for a House bill with new rules for carbon pipelines. Republican Senator Mike Bousselot of Ankeny used to work for Summit Agricultural Group and one of its subsidiaries to planning to build a pipeline. Bousselot said in a written statement he has no conflict of interest and the complaint was a waste of the Senate’s time.

Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, said Bousselot should not have been leading senate review of the bill. “This is not a situation any of us relish or want to be in, but we are,” Jochum said, “and I can assure you I had a sleepless night over all of this.” Jochum and the other five members of the Senate Ethics Committee voted to notify the group that filed the complaint that no further action will be taken, unless further relevant information is produced by the group that filed it.

“Considering Senator Bousselot’s long standing personal and financial relationship with the CEO of the company that plans to build one of the carbon pipelines and his relationship with a senior policy advisor to Summit (Carbon) Solutions, Senator Bousselot has at the very least exercised questionable judgment,” Jochum said, “and at worst engaged in the appearance of unethical conduct.”

Six years ago, Bousselot left his job at Bruce Rastetter’s company. Bousselot was also chief of staff for former Governor Terry Branstad, who’s a senior policy advisor on the pipeline project. Bousselot said Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement — the group that filed the complaint — is an extremist organization and he said to allege a senator violated ethics rules by not acting on a bill is “preposterous.”

Senator Cindy Winckler, a Democrat from Davenport, supported the decision to table the complaint related to senate inaction on the carbon pipeline bill. “This is such a difficult situation,” Winckler said, “and it is a high profile issue that we’ve worked on for several years.”

Hugh Espy being escorted from meeting. (RI photo)

None of the Republicans on the Senate Ethics Committee commented on the complaint before joining Democrats to table it. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement executive director Hugh Espy  started asking senators questions after the vote. Senate Ethics Committee chairman Tom Shipley of Nodaway spoke as Espy was escorted out of the room by state troopers.

“Our rules were clear. I stated them. You will go with the trooper,” Shipley said. “We’re done.”

The Senate Ethics Committee also voted to dismiss a complaint against Senator Molly Donahue, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, for Facebook posts that have accused members of “Moms for Liberty” of being terrorists. Jochum said Senator Donahue, like any citizen, has free speech rights. “If there’s a lesson to learn in all of this, it is that we all need to choose our words very carefully to ensure respect,” Jochum said, “even toward those with whom we disagree.”

Senator Tom Costello, a Republican from Imogene, directed his comments toward Senator Donahue: “She needs to watch she posts and it’d probably be good advice for her just to get off of social media.”

On Sunday, Donahue posted a story about Moms for Liberty, a group that has pushed for removal of certain books from school libraries. Donahue, who is a teacher, again called members of the group terrorists.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on April 17th, of 27-year-old Jasiah Masterson, of Atlantic. Masterson was taken into custody on charges of OWI/1st offense, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. He was booked into the Cass County Jail and later released on his Own Recognizance.

And, on Monday, April 24th, deputies in Cass County arrested 34-year-old Todd Jenkins, of Osceola, on a warrant for Failure to Appear on the charge of OWI First Offense.  Jenkins was transported to the Cass County Jail and also later released on his Own Recognizance.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Connections Area Agency on Aging reports vouchers are available for the Senior Farmer’s Market program. Seniors meeting income requirements can obtain vouchers that they can use at participating area Farmers Markets to buy $50.00 worth of fresh, locally grown produce.

To request an application call 800-432-9209 and leave a message with you name and phone number.  All calls will be returned within five business days of the order being received.  Applications will then be mailed out every Thursday with an addressed return envelope.  Once Connections officials receive completed applications, vouchers will be mailed out to applicant.  Please note applications not completed will not receive vouchers until all information is provided.

Program Criteria:

• Must be at least 60 years of age or older.
• Annual income must be less than
  $26,973  for Individual, Single Senior applicants,  or $36,482 for Married couples.

When a staff member returns your call, please indicate whether you are applying as an individual or a married couple.

Outline of Process: This method is the only way to obtain Farmers’ Market vouchers in 2023.

• Applications available by phone only.
• Applications will be mailed with a return envelope.
• Applications must be complete before vouchers are mailed out.
• Applications are on a first come first serve basis.
• Walk-in’s will not be accepted at Connections’ senior centers or office locations.

(Radio Iowa) – The Carroll County Growth Partnership is getting 200-thousand dollars from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) for a proposed first-of-its-kind rural business resource center known as HUB 712. Partnerships Executive Director, Kimberly Tiefenthaler, says HUB 712 has been in the works for quite some time, and once up and running, it will provide entrepreneurs with resources that are not readily available in areas outside larger cities. “All the entrepreneurial centers are in the middle of the state, however out here, there’s enough population, there’s enough entrepreneurship and there’s certainly enough people that have that entrepreneurial mindset and certainly people that have that an idea that needs to be developed,” she says.

The state award will be used to cover some of the initial costs of the project like outreach efforts, contract specialists, and hiring personnel. Tiefenthaler says HUB 712 will centralize resources in a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs in Carroll, Calhoun, Sac, Crawford, Shelby, Audubon, Guthrie, and Greene Counties. The Small Business Development Center is one of the partners in the project. “Advance Iowa is a partnership that we struck about a year ago, and now that we’ve got this in place the Exit Planning and also the employee Co-Op piece, that is something that we’re going to be encouraging in the business continuity piece. And then the impact callus program that is the platform that we are piloting with I-E-D-A and we will be collecting data through that program, but it is also a platform in place to assist startup businesses and existing businesses,” Tiefenthaler says.

Tiefenthaler says with the state grant in place, the project will really start to pick up speed. “We’re definitely excited and this is where the rubber meets the road and we roll up our sleeves and go work, right. We’ve been talking about it and now with a 200-thousand dollar award we can put things into motion for sure,” she says. Tiefenthaler expects to be ready for a soft launch sometime in the next few months — with a full launch planned for later this summer.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports 35-year-old Jessie Harman, of Glenwood, was arrested Tuesday. She faces charges that include Child Endangerment and Domestic Abuse Assault. Harman was being held in the Mills County Jail without bond, until seen by a magistrate.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent arrests and a single-vehicle rollover accident. Authorities say 26-year-old Rhiannon Irene Gilbert, of Glenwood, was arrested Monday on a warrant for Violation of No Contact Order. She was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. And, Tuesday morning, 43-year-old Brian James Johnson, Jr., of Plattsmouth, NE, was arrested at the Douglas County, NE Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Theft in the 1st Degree. Johnson was also being held without bond.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports also, at around 5:40-p.m. Tuesday, 31-year-old Zachary Smith, of Glenwood, was driving a 2015 Jeep southbound on Hilman Road, when, according to an investigation, he attempted to turn west onto Hawley Road. The Jeep missed the turn and rolled over into a ditch on the north side of the road. Authorities say trees in the ditch held the SUV in-place until emergency services could arrive and extract him from the vehicle.

The report states that “there was a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from the vehicle.” EMS transported Smith to the UNMC in Omaha, for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, today (Wednesday), said that last Wednesday (April 19, 2023), agents with the DCI arrested Kathryn Zimmerman, of Mount Ayr, on misdemeanor warrants for False Reports to a Public Safety Official and Interference with Official Acts. Zimmerman, the former executive director of the Ringgold County Conservation Board, was charged following an investigation.

The charges stem from a December 5, 2022, incident at Poe Hollow Park when Zimmerman denied Ringgold County deputies and bomb technicians entrance to the facility to render safe an explosive device found earlier that morning. The investigation also included a criminal complaint Zimmerman made to the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office. In the complaint, Zimmerman alleged that Ringgold County Supervisor Colby Holmes struck her with his truck.

Due to conflicts of interest with the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office and the Ringgold County Attorney’s Office, the DCI was requested to join with the Adair County Attorney’s Office to investigate Zimmerman’s allegations. The DCI provided results of the investigation to the Adair County Attorney for review. Zimmerman has since posted bond.